Palliative Care

Middletoast · Mar 31, 2003

mchospicern brought up a good point. In US palliative is more for S/S from tx or illness. Say a cancer pt has been given radiation to shrink the tumor but there is no hope of curing. It is done for comfort measures only. This is palliative. Sad that Medicare/Medicaid make a distiction when it comes to HMB. ( Hospice Medicare Benefit). When the hospice only gets a certain amount of $$ for each Pt. and the oncologist gives expenceive tx for reduction of said tumor, hospices cannot afford to pay for radiation but yet that is what the government expects. I all comes down to $$$$$. Sad!!!!

adrienurse, LPN · Mar 31, 2003

I get the feeling that the words "palliative care" are not used as often in the US as in the UK, Australia, Canada etc. From what I gather, this is usually referred to as hospice care and usually related to the hospice setting. The palliative care that I'm used to is more of a mindset and can be performed anywhere.

Agnus · May 25, 2003

I tried quoting adrienurse but my browser would not let me. I think I understand what you mean about mind set. And I agree all care should be given in a palliative manor. Unfortunately I think the US mind set is tied to the mind set of those who reimburse for care. Here the mind set is pallitive care means onlypallitive care and that in the US means keep them comfortable without treating them towards recovery. i. e. they are going to dies they have accepted it and don't want anything that is not enhancing to quality of life done.

Our insurance and government does not recognize the benefit of comfort care. It apparently is fluff in thier mind and unnessary.